thegeneral

Classy move by all involved. Westsider might not have liked all the fuss since he left us, but I think he'd like this.

Game preview from amnews.com: Prep Football: Boyle County coach Larry French says his team has to get better - centralkynews.com Game preview from winchestersun.com: Prep Football: Boyle County coach Larry French says his team has to get better - centralkynews.com

Game preview from amnews.com: Prep Football: Mercer County has to be disciplined Friday against Anderson County - centralkynews.com

Game preview from amnews.com: Prep Football: Lincoln County looks to extend winning streak to three at Casey County on Friday - centralkynews.com

Dog bites man. The sun sets in the west. Boyle County is pretty good. Perhaps none of those things qualifies as news, but the latter item might at least be a least a little surprising to those who had written this off as a rebuilding season for the Rebels. A month ago, Boyle had more question marks than “The Riddler’s” green bodysuit. The defense was made up almost entirely of first-year starters, the offensive and defensive lines had been reconstructed, and the sheer volume of youth and inexperience left many wondering what kind of year it might be at Boyle. Nobody expected the Rebels to stink, mind you, but as they approach the midpoint of the season, they are probably better off than many of thought they would be. They are 4-0, with a ledger that includes two victories over name-brand teams from higher classifications. They are No. 4 in Class 4A in the latest Bluegrasspreps.com rankings. And they are just going to keep getting better. So here’s the real news flash: It’s not a rebuilding season any more. Boyle is good and getting better, and as usual, it is once again one of the best teams in 4A. Just look at what the Rebels did last week in their win over Anderson County. Yes, they made some mistakes that allowed Anderson to have a chance to win the game, and yes, they escaped with a 30-27 victory over a highly ranked team from the classification just above them only after a missed field-goal attempt in the final seconds. Coach Larry French will say — and did say after that game — that the Rebels still have much work to do to get to where they want to be, and he’s absolutely right. But the glass-half-full side of that story is that Boyle went toe to toe with a good team, got enough done on offense to build a 10-point lead, made a couple of big plays on defense that prevented a touchdown and forced Anderson into that field-goal try and pulled out a win in a game it could just as easily have lost. Good teams find ways to win games like that, and the Rebels have gotten the job done so far. They have won two close games and two blowouts, and they have shown they have shown themselves to be strong in several areas along the way: — In his first season as Boyle’s full-time starting quarterback, Josiah Robbins has shown he has the arm and athletic skills to be the kind of offensive leader this youngish team needs. He has thrown for 519 yards and four touchdowns with a .640 completion percentage. And he’s getting the job done on defense too; he successfully defended Anderson’s star receiver, Ross Cox, in the end zone on the final play before the Bearcats tried a field goal. — Levi McKinney and Keagan Hinkle (nine receptions each) have emerged as capable pass-catchers, and Seph Burke (367 yards, five TDs) and Aiden Stewart-Hoskins (208 yards, four TDs) give the Rebels two threats in the backfield, where Robbins is also a capable rusher. — The line play has been very good, especially given the number of new faces playing those positions. — Boyle has been good on defense, where Burke, McKinney and Austin Bell are currently the top tacklers, though things were a little shaky in the fourth quarter against Anderson. — There’s even another good kicker — Boyle always seems to have one — in Addison Coffey, who has been launching deep kickoffs and reliable placekicks in his first season. As has been the case annually in recent years, Boyle’s fans are focused squarely on the Rebels’ game with Lexington Catholic, which usually decides the 4A-5 district championship and this year might also decide which of them would host a regional championship game in November. The Rebels and Knights will meet Oct. 4 in Danville, and Boyle seems a pretty good bet to be 6-0 at that point. The Rebels play their final pre-district game Friday at George Rogers Clark, which has been giving up points in volume, then open district play a week later at Taylor County. That gives them two excellent opportunities to fine-tune their game before the biggest game on their schedule. French is correct in saying that the Rebels still must improve to be ready for Lexington Catholic and the other big games beyond that one. But the learning curve seems to be pretty high.

Rivals Mercer (3-1) and Anderson (2-1) are coming off their first losses. Anderson won 48-7 last year and has a four-year winning streak in the series. Mercer's last win was in 2004 before the series was interrupted for four years.

Lincoln (2-2) visits Casey (0-3) for the first time since 2003. The Patriots are 12-0 against the Rebels, including a 35-23 win last year.

The last time folks outside of central Kentucky paid much attention to Mercer County was in 2006, when it made off with the Class AA championship in 2006. It’s time to take notice of the Titans again. This Mercer team isn’t yet being considered a championship contender, but it is doing things it hasn’t done since that special season seven years ago — and even longer, in at least one case. To put it simply, the Titans are winning. They have won their first three games out of the gate, giving them their best start since 2006, when they went 15-0. And they are on track for a second straight winning season, one year after finishing over .500 for the first time since, you guessed it, ’06. And they haven’t even opened the gates at their home field yet. That will finally happen Friday, when Mercer faces another 3-0 team, Central Hardin, in its home opener. It will be a tough test for Mercer, probably the toughest it has faced to date. But if the Titans have shown us anything in the first three weeks of this season, it is that they are better prepared for such tests than they have been since, that’s right, 2006. So what is it that has made Mercer better? Naturally, it starts with the players. The Titans have more experience and more talent, giving them an array of weapons ranging from a rapidly improving quarterback and a talented trio of receivers to an aggressive defensive line and an athletic secondary. Mercer has won in large part behind a potent offense that is averaging 36.3 points and 317 yards per game. Quarterback Drew Davis, a sophomore who took over as the Titans’ starter for the second half of last season, has thrown for 532 yards and seven touchdowns, including three TDs last week in a come-from-behind win over West Jessamine. His top three receivers — Russell Sims, Layne Peavler and Chris Crawley-Goodman — have combined to catch 24 of Davis’ 29 completions, with Sims leading the way with 11 catches. And Mercer has used a balanced rushing attack featuring senior Chris Voris and sophomore Kobe Ford at tailback and Davis, all three of whom have rushed for between 102 and 121 yards. Mercer’s defense was in need of improvement after allowing 29.2 points per game last year, and there has been improvement. The Titans are allowing 3 more yards per game than their offense is averaging, but their opponents have scored only 20 points per game, and they have forced nine turnovers, including three interceptions by Peavler and two fumble recoveries by freshman Grayson Blevins. Then there’s the coaching staff, which remained mostly intact for the second straight year. That doesn’t sound like much, but it’s headline-worthy in Harrodsburg, where coaches have been coming and going with regularity since Marty Jaggers resigned following the 2008 season. The Titans went through four coaches in four years following Jaggers’ departure, including one who stayed for only one day. The fourth in that line was Chris Pardue, the former Boyle County coach who spent four years as offensive coordinator at Campbellsville University before Mercer hired him in May 2012. Pardue has given every indication that he'll be there a while — he continued to live in nearby Perryville even while he was coaching at Campbellsville — and the stability that he and his staff have provided is something Mercer’s program badly needed. Two weeks ago, Mercer got a significant win when it defeated Danville for the first time in school history after losses to the Admirals in 12 previous meetings. Last week, the Titans rallied from a 20-14 deficit in the second half to beat an improved West Jessamine team. This week, they cracked the Associated Press 4A top 10 at No. 10. Now things get even more challenging for the Titans, as they face a three-game stretch that is easily the toughest part of their regular-season schedule. Following Friday’s game against Central Hardin, they visit Anderson County on Sept. 20, then open District 4A-5 play Sept. 27 against defending champion Lexington Catholic. So by the first of October, we’ll have a pretty good idea of what Mercer is made of. But even at this early stage of the season, it’s clear that the ingredients are there for the Titans’ most successful season since, well, you know.

I knew I could count on some of the best football SIDs/historians in the state. I have some of your records; I just didn't have them in front of me at 2:30 in the morning.

Anderson County and Boyle County meet Friday in Danville. Both teams are 3-0.

Central Hardin and Mercer County meet for the first time in Harrodsburg. Both teams are 3-0.

Neighbors Garrard County and Lincoln County meet in Stanford. Both teams are 1-2. Lincoln has won seven of the last eight meetings between the teams. Mr. Network or gchsuk9 can surely fill in more series details than I have readily available.

Inside Wilderness Trace Football A weekly notebook focusing on Boyle County, Danville and Mercer County, with occasional info on other nearby teams: LOOKING BACK Boyle County 41, Danville 7 Boyle (3-0) cruised over Danville (1-2) in the crosstown showdown at Admiral Stadium, as the Rebels broke the game open with four second-quarter touchdowns to defeat the Admirals for the fifth time in six years and the 11th time in their last 15 meetings. Levi McKinney scored one touchdown on offense and another on defense, Josiah Robbins threw two touchdown passes and Seph Burke ran for two touchdowns for Boyle. Robbins completed seven of 13 passes for 128 yards, while Burke rushed for 96 yards and Aiden Stewart-Hoskins rushed for 62. The Rebels scored three times before Danville got on the board midway through the second quarter, and they led 34-7 at halftime. Jawan Grey scored the Admirals’ only touchdown on a 76-yard run, but he had a net loss of 3 yards on his other 10 rushing attempts. Damani Del Rosario rushed for 62 yards, and Zach Dampier completed eight of 18 passes for 127 yards. Danville, which leads the series 32-18-1, had four turnovers, one more than Boyle. Mercer County 33, West Jessamine 20 Drew Davis threw three touchdown passes, including two in the fourth quarter, as Mercer improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2006, when it won the Class AA championship in the first year following its merger with Harrodsburg. Davis’ fourth-quarter scoring passes of 9 and 15 yards, the latter on fourth down-and-5, completed the Titans’ comeback from a 20-14 deficit in the second half. The gme was tied at 20-all entering the fourth quarter. Kobe Ford scored on an 18-yard run and an 80-yard kickoff return for Mercer, which defeated West Jessmaine (1-2) for the third consecutive year. Mercer’s defense held West Jessamine quarterback Jackson Pearce to 69 yards on 4-of-11 passing one week after he threw for 220 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Rockcastle County. Devin Taylor ran for 209 yards and three touchdowns for the Colts. Lincoln County 22, Lexington Christian 21 Lincoln (1-2) gave up 21 unanswered points in the first half but countered with 19 straight in the second half to defeat LCA (1-2) for its first victory. It was an emotional win for the Patriots, as it came five days following the funeral of assistant coach Mickey Goodwin, who was fatally injured in a motorcycle accident Aug. 30. Nathan Hooper scored on a 24-yard fumble recovery to give Lincoln the lead in the first minute of the fourth quarter. The Patriots held on as the Eagles tried to rally behind quarterback Dima Ballard, who was 7 for 7 on their final two possessions. But LCA turned the ball over on downs on its penultimate drive, and Lincoln Henzman missed a 20-yard field-goal attempt that would have won the game on the final play. Marvin Robinson rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown for Lincoln, which was outgained 350 yards to 160. Ballard was 11 for 14 for 223 yards and a touchdown. Wayne County 42, Garrard County 15 Wayne (3-0) scored 42 unanswered points over the final three periods as Garrard (1-2) lost a double-digit lead for the second straight week. Quarterback Tyler Guffey threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns for the winning Cardinals. Slade Crutchfield threw for 90 yards and one touchdown and Keagan Penman rushed for 58 yards and two touchdowns for the Golden Lions. Russell County 40, Casey County 6 Russell (3-0) outgained Casey (0-3) by almost 400 yards to win the first meeting between these rivals since 2008. The Lakers rushed for 463 yards — averaging 14.5 yards per attempt — totaled 516 yards and held the Rebels to 126 yards. Wyatt Bishop rushed for 98 yards and scored Casey’s only touchdown on an 86-yard run that accounted for most of the Rebels’ 130 rushing yards. LOOKING AHEAD (All games Friday) Anderson County (2-0) at Boyle County (3-0), 7:30 p.m. Boyle faces perhaps its toughest test to date from Anderson, a powerful offensive team that has scored 85 points in wins over George Rogers Clark and South Oldham. On the other hand, it is also probably the toughest test yet for Anderson, as Boyle has 107 points in its wins over Lincoln County, Warren Central and Danville. This will be the first meeting between the Rebels and Bearcats since the 1990s, when they were in the same Class AA district. Danville (1-2) at Corbin (3-0), 7:30 p.m. Old rivals Danville and Corbin have renewed their series for another two years after facing off in three of the last four seasons. Corbin defeated Danville in the Redhounds’ bowl in 2009, and the Admirals won in 2011 and ’12. The Redhounds have put together three strong defensive performances, allowing a total of 14 points in wins over Southwestern, Perry County Central and Trimble County. Danville scored 45 points in its first two games before Boyle County held the Admirals to seven. Central Hardin (3-0) at Mercer County (3-0), 7:30 p.m. Mercer will try to extend its impressive start in its first meeting with Central Hardin, which matches the Titans’ perfect record. The Bruins, who went 5-7 last year, have beaten North Hardin, Grayson County and Madisonville-North Hopkins by an average margin of 31.3 points. The Titans have allowed 20 points to all three teams they have beaten — Allen County-Scottsville, Danville and West Jessamine — but have averaged 36.3 points. Garrard County (1-2) at Lincoln County (1-2), 7:30 p.m.:  The Garrard-Lincoln series has become the area’s most one-sided rivalry in recent years, as the Patriots have dominated the Golden Lions even in years when they have struggled against most of the other teams on their schedule. Lincoln won 19-18 last year and has won seven of the last eight meetings, with the only exception being a 35-25 Garrard win in 2011, the Lions’ most successful season ever. And the Patriots have two shutout wins and have held the Lions to a single touchdown in two other wins during that span. Lincoln has at least a little momentum on its side after rallying to beat Lexington Christian last week. Garrard is looking for a change of fortune after squandering leads in losses to Glasgow and Wayne County. RATING THE TRACE 1. Boyle County 2. Mercer County 3. Danville 4. Lincoln County 5. Garrard County 6. Casey County

Final from Danville. Boyle beats Danville for the fifth time in six years and the 11th time in 15 years.

Game preview from amnews.com: Prep Football: Boyle, Danville coaches put their friendship on hold for rivalry game - centralkynews.com

Game preview from amnews.com: Prep Football: Mercer expecting another nail-biter against West Jessamine - centralkynews.com

The drama was at its highest, the noise was at its noisest, and everyone in the place wondered what was going to happen next. It was just about then, when Danville-Boyle County game was getting really, really interesting, that one of the players on the bench said something only one other person in the place could hear. Just before the snap of another critical play, the player, a senior, smiled and said, “Man, I’m going to miss this!” At their very best, that’s what rivalry games can do. They can create moments that players and fans can never recapture but can always remember. When Boyle and Danville meet on the football field, just as is the case with countless other annual rivalry games, the center of a small but important sports universe is right there in the middle of that game for one night. Never mind what Mark Stoops or Charlie Strong are up to, whether the Reds are winning or whom you should activate on your fantasy team. If you are part of that community and care even a little bit about sports, you’ll be interested in what happens Friday at Admiral Stadium, whether you’re in the stands, listening to the broadcast or checking the score before going to bed. Those who might have gone to bed early last year, or at least turned their attention elsewhere when they thought the outcome had been decided, missed a thrilling ending to what was undoubtedly one of the very best of the 51 games played between these two teams separated by only two miles. Not every game between the Admirals and Rebels has been an instant classic, and in fact many of them have been quite forgettable. But last year’s game will be remembered for its big plays, high drama and sudden swings of momentum and emotion. Danville erased a 6-0 halftime deficit, build a 21-6 lead in the second half, saw Boyle rally to tie the game with 1 minute, 26 seconds remaining by scoring twice in just over a minute, then won it on Jawan Grey’s 74-yard touchdown run with 1 minute, 4 seconds remaining. It should also also be remembered as one of the most important games in the recent history of a series that had been leaning hard to port. Boyle had won four straight games, none of which had been close, and 10 out of 13 before Danville’s 2012 win. Fans on both sides of any rivalry want their team to win this type of game every year, but the fact is both teams need to win now and then to keep things interesting. And the Danville-Boyle rivalry was anything but interesting from the mid 1980s to the early ’90s, when the Admirals dominated the series during a winning streak that grew to 19 games. It was a district game for many of those years, but it was so insignficant at the time that the teams didn’t go out of their way to put it at the end of the regular-season schedule, which is where it seems such a game should have been in those days. But the games started getting closer and the series started taking on more meaning from 1994-96, when Boyle got better in a hurry and the teams met in the postseason as well as the regular season. And things really got interesting in the 1996 playoffs, when the Rebels defeated the Admirals 12-0 for their first win in the crosstown showdown since 1979. The teams haven’t met again in the playoffs, and most people in the community say it’s probably for the best that realignment ended that possibility for the forseeable future. Both schools were able to compete for championships at the same time, and it gave rise to the “Title Town” moniker that Danville (the city, not just the school system) proudly wore just a few years ago. No titles are won or lost when Danville and Boyle play each other, but that won’t matter on Friday night. The game will have the usual subplots as the two teams play for bragging rights in a town where both sides do like to brag, and those will be mixed with fresh memories of what happened last season at Boyle. And there's a new subplot this year with the arrival of Clay Clevenger as Danville's coach. Remember, it was Boyle coach Larry French who gave Clevenger his first high school coaching job when he hired him as an assistant at Lincoln County. Boyle should probably be the favorite again, as it was last year, if only because a still-learning Danville team seems a little more mistake-prone at this early stage of the season. Still, there are more similarities between these two teams at this point in the schedule than you might think. Boyle has a young but impressive quarterback, and so does Danville, although the Admirals' Zack Dampier is younger and has less experience than the Rebels' Josiah Robbins. Danville has a good group of running backs led by Grey and Olyjawan Ford; Boyle has its own good backs in Seph Burke and Aiden Stewart-Hoskins. Both teams have largely rebuilt lines, and both teams have defenses led by strong linebacker corps that have played pretty well so far. It’s worth noting, however, that every player who scored a touchdown for the Admirals in last year’s game is on the field again this year, and none of those who scored for the Rebels are. Danville is inexperienced in a number of areas, just as is Boyle, but the Admirals have plenty of experience at skill positions. And if last year’s thrilling game taught us anything at all, it is to expect the unexpected. And to stick around for the whole game.

Boyle and Danville meet for the 51st time. Danville leads the series 32-17-1, and the Admirals won 28-21 last year.

Mercer and West Jessamine meet for the third straight year; Mercer won 31-28 last year. The Titans are 2-0; the Colts are 1-1.

Wayne and Garrard meet for the first time since 2010, when both were in the same district. The Cardinals are 1-0 (pending Monday's game); the Golden Lions are 1-1).

Lincoln and LCA meet for the first time. The Patriots are 0-2; the Eagles are 1-1.

Canada's a fairly large country. Where is this team from?

The postgame consensus was that Glasgow was the best of the four teams on the field in Danville tonight, and I think I'd second that.

Glasgow scored twice in the first 1:15 of the fourth quarter to flip the game. It went from 22-19 Garrard to 32-22 Glasgow, and that was pretty much it. Good game to that point.

Final from tonight at Boyle.